diff --git a/nix/tests/lanzaboote.nix b/nix/tests/lanzaboote.nix
index 87509b5a..d04426c4 100644
--- a/nix/tests/lanzaboote.nix
+++ b/nix/tests/lanzaboote.nix
@@ -240,6 +240,17 @@ in
     '';
   };
 
+  synthesis = mkSecureBootTest {
+    name = "lanzaboote-synthesis";
+    machine = { lib, ... }: {
+      boot.bootspec.enable = lib.mkForce false;
+    };
+    testScript = ''
+      machine.start()
+      print(machine.succeed("bootctl"))
+    '';
+  };
+
   systemd-boot-loader-config = mkSecureBootTest {
     name = "lanzaboote-systemd-boot-loader-config";
     machine = {
diff --git a/rust/tool/src/generation.rs b/rust/tool/src/generation.rs
index 41c05256..480343c5 100644
--- a/rust/tool/src/generation.rs
+++ b/rust/tool/src/generation.rs
@@ -40,10 +40,19 @@ pub struct Generation {
 impl Generation {
     pub fn from_link(link: &GenerationLink) -> Result<Self> {
         let bootspec_path = link.path.join("boot.json");
-        let generation: BootspecGeneration = serde_json::from_slice(
-            &fs::read(bootspec_path).context("Failed to read bootspec file")?,
-        )
-        .context("Failed to parse bootspec json")?;
+        let generation = fs::read(bootspec_path)
+            .with_context(|| "Failed to read bootspec")
+            .and_then(|v| serde_json::from_slice(&v).context("Failed to read bootspec JSON"))
+            // TODO: this should be much easier, add a From<GenerationVX> for BootspecGeneration
+            // this should enable us to do `into()` on the Result
+            // anyhow compatibility of bootspec would be nice too.
+            .or_else(|_err| Ok::<_, anyhow::Error>(
+                    BootspecGeneration::V1(
+                        BootJson::synthesize(&link.path)
+                        .map_err(|err| anyhow!(err))
+                        .context("Failed to read a bootspec (missing bootspec?) and failed to synthesize a valid replacement bootspec.")?
+                    )
+                ))?;
 
         let bootspec: BootJson = generation
             .try_into()